Live 2009

Asrai op Metropolis

"Een band die Within Temptation alle hoeken van de ring kan laten zien"

Tekst: Leen Steen, Foto's: Megin Zondervan
6 juli 2009

Metropolis zet breed in met verschillende muziekstromingen en zet met Asrai een prima vertegenwoordiger neer van het gothic/new wave genre. Deze band draait al even mee en is alweer de derde Rotterdamse band waar we vol trots over mogen berichten!

"Een band die Within Temptation alle hoeken van de ring kan laten zien"

Wie/Wat/Waar?
Asrai op het 3FM Serious Talent stage

Goed:
Goede show en sterke performance. Asrai krijgt het voor elkaar om tussen alle Gothic metal exponenten van tegenwoordig, een genre dat geplaagd wordt door clichés, toch een eigen gezicht te bewaren. Er zitten onmiskenbaar nog steeds New Wave invloeden in de muziek van Asrai en dat maakt het net wat frisser dan de concurrentie. En aan de reacties van het publiek te merken ging het er allemaal in als de spreekwoordelijke koek.

Minder:
Het geluid was werkelijk abominabel maar dat gold voor het complete festival. Het hoog stond helemaal open en de bas en midtonen ontbraken bijna geheel, vooral als je wat verder van het podium af stond te kijken. Er zijn vast ook in de buurt van het Zuiderpark yuppenflats verrezen dat men opeens zo spastisch over geluidsoverlast aan het doen is.

Conclusie:
Rotterdam heeft een band in huis die Within Temptation alle hoeken van de ring kan laten zien.

City: Rotterdam Location: Exit

Website: http://www.exit-rotterdam.nl

Gothtronic

Lady fest was planned for a whole day with the following bands:

Asrai, The Cesarians, Einstein Barbie, Eva Braun, Rosie The Riveter. I was there to write a review of Asrai.

The Exit is a small, dark, gloomy place in Rotterdam, which really suits this band, because of it’s sombre, pitch dark sound. Just the right band for the right ambiance. The stage is quite small, but this was no problem for this awesome band. I was quite surprised by the fact that only a couple of people came to this concert. But those who were there were completelyo crazy about the band. The audience kept taking pictures of the colourfull bandmembers. And that’s understandable, because Asrai is not only an awesome band, but also a visual concept containing tattoos, piercings, brightly coloured hair and very eccentric clothes. I admit I love it and concider Asrai as a great inspiration to me. Especially Margriet (singer) and Karin (drums) with whom I am completely captivated by.

Asrai played songs from their albums ‘Touch in the dark’ and ‘Pearls in dirt’. Margriet sang with upmost dedication, but I have to be honest that the equipment could be just a little bit better. The drums were not synchronised with the DAD-recorder and that was such misfortune. The drummer wasn’t able to hear herself. But the bands tecnicians worked hard to compensate and to solve the problem. The band continued to rock like nothing happened, and that was the best way to deal with the problem, very professional!

Despite the poor turnout, Asrai managed to give a very convincing performance.

It was amazing to see how Manon (keyboards) could play with these halve gloves, it looked incredible but it had to be hard to play wearing those gloves. In a couple of songs, she was the second voice, which she did very well.

Beginning with ‘Shadows’ Margriet’s singing became better and better, and she really knew how to touch my heart with ‘Child’. What I like about Margriet is the fact that she is such a talented singer, with a huge variety of intervals, from high to quite low grunts, enriched with several mysterious sounds like that of a small child. I really enjoyed listening to the way she trifled with sound and the way she was involved in the song.

Despite technical problems, Asrai managed to give an encore: ‘Whisper’. It’s such a wonderfull song and perfect as a closing song. I was so bound up in this song and it carried me completely away from this world. … And then the band said farewell.